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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Two surfers headed into the roiling surf at Sunset Beach yesterday. The North Shore was seeing a big swell coming through.

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Waves promise surfers
holiday cheer

Faces up to 40 feet and
sunny skies may pump
North Shore businesses

Christmas is arriving early for surfers this year, with big waves and sunny skies expected on nearly all Oahu's shores through the end of the week.

Waves with faces in excess of 30 feet are forecast for Oahu's North Shore early tomorrow and another swell could mean big surf through Friday, possibly even on Christmas Day. Forecasters say waves could reach heights upwards of 40 feet on Wednesday.

West shores should also see unusually high surf Wednesday.

There could also be a rare winter south swell, said National Weather Service marine forecaster Sam Houston.

The small south swell with waves of 2- to 4-foot faces may last through Friday. "I might just go down there and check it out myself," Houston said.

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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Crowds flocked to Pipeline on the North Shore yesterday to watch surfers take on the large north swell hitting the islands.

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Because of its direction, the swell could bring advisory-level waves of over eight feet to the Big Island's Kona Coast later in the week. Despite their relatively small size, Houston said, the waves could cause problems for shoreline residents.

But the biggest surf will be on the north and west shores.

"This is what surfers look forward to all winter," said North Shore lifeguard Capt. Bodo Van Der Leeden, adding that wave watchers and riders alike have been buzzing about the latest northwest swell and plan to be out in force this week.

North Shore retailers are also dreaming about the boom in business that could be as big as the surf.

"The big surf really brings 'em out," said Joe Green, owner of Haleiwa Surf & Sea Hawaii. "Business is going to be huge."

Johnnie Moore, owner of Strong Current Surf Design, said sunny skies also play a part in crowd sizes. Last year, he said, wet weather started in November and hardly let up, hurting his Christmas sales. But yesterday, with advisory-level surf and no rain in sight, his store was jammed.

"When the surf's really big, we see more town people," he added.

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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Australian surfer Matt Griggs, above, emerged from the surf yesterday holding what was left of his board after he surfed Pipeline on the North Shore.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM A few people got a closer look at the frothing brew.

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Yesterday's swell brought 15-foot wave faces to the North Shore, with an occasional 20-foot set. The Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters competition at the Banzai Pipeline was canceled because of "unruly" surf conditions, a spokesman said. The contest is expected to be held today.

Van Der Leeden said lifeguards spent much of yesterday chasing down amateur surfers and body boarders "to make sure they get in safe." Mid-level surf -- between 8 and 15 feet -- can be deceptive because it's not high enough to scare people off, but is strong enough to get them in trouble, he said.

He said spectators should stay away from the water and on dry sand to avoid being swept away by a shore break. He also said surfers and body boarders should talk to lifeguards before going in the water to get advisories on the conditions.

Forecasters said the upcoming swell will peak early Tuesday and start to decline before rising again to levels upwards of 20 feet early Wednesday in a so-called "second stage." Waves from the swell will likely remain above 15 feet through Friday.

"It's a good long swell," Van Der Leeden said. "The big surf didn't start off early this year. ... But now it's here and it looks like there's plenty more coming."